Yoga

[Splinemodel]

My next door neighbor opened up a yoga parlor in town. I live in town, and she has been bugging me for a while about going. I went tonight for an hour of yoga; I was warned, but I run pretty hard and play a lot of soccer. . .

This shit is no joke!

Buckets of sweat.

[maimezvous]

I would love to get started in something like that. My mom used to do yoga, and she loved it. I also need to become more flexible and healthy in general. With how tight all my muscles, ligaments, and tendons are I will be curled up unable to move by the time I'm 30.

[skatman]

Just wait lesson #5 when you start swallowing knives and shit! Yoga is no joke!

[user23]

Originally posted by Splinemodel
My next door neighbor opened up a yoga parlor in town. I live in town, and she has been bugging me for a while about going. I went tonight for an hour of yoga; I was warned, but I run pretty hard and play a lot of soccer. . .

This shit is no joke!

Buckets of sweat.

Yeah, it is no joke...unlike the so-called "modern health care system."

Keep doing Yoga/Tai Chi/Qi Gong/etc, eat well...and, therefore, you get to avoid most "lifestyle related" illnesses.

[Gilsch]

Not only that, but here in LA most Yoga classes are attended by a lot of attractive women. Now that makes it easier to stick with it. ;)

[sammi jo]

I wonder if there are yoga courses anywhere in Kansas ;)

[Splinemodel]

Originally posted by Gilsch
Not only that, but here in LA most Yoga classes are attended by a lot of attractive women. Now that makes it easier to stick with it. ;)

This I noticed.

[addabox]

Originally posted by Gilsch
Not only that, but here in LA most Yoga classes are attended by a lot of attractive women. Now that makes it easier to stick with it. ;)

I heart Downward Facing Dog.

[Kickaha]

Advanced Yoga For Leches Tip #32:

Always be just a little 'off' in your poses, so that the hot yoga teacher feels the need to come over and manually nudge your body into position.

Especially effective in Warrior 2 and Triangle poses, when they apparently like to sidle up behind you and do a full-body press.

Or maybe that's just me.


Seriously, I love yoga, and need to get back into it - did it for about 4 years, and never felt better. And yeah, it's no joke. Some of the easiest looking poses are damned difficult.

Wait until you try pilates. Ouch.

[Gilsch]

Originally posted by addabox
I heart Downward Facing Dog. :D :smokey:

[benzene]

Originally posted by user23
Yeah, it is no joke...unlike the so-called "modern health care system."

Keep doing Yoga/Tai Chi/Qi Gong/etc, eat well...and, therefore, you get to avoid most "lifestyle related" illnesses.

Uh huh...because having your aura aligned keeps broken bones, concussions, Hepatitis, TB, cancer, and all those other nasty things away from you.

I'm always amazed how quickly natural health nuts run to the "modern health care system" when real ailments hit them.

Hell, if it wasn't for the "modern health care system", we'd still be losing limbs to minor infections and dropping like flies from smallpox.

[Kickaha]

Modern for acute, traditional for chronic and preventative. That's the best recipe I've found.

Most modern docs have zero interest in prevention - sure, they all talk a good game, but they're not really into it. (Cynical mode: why would they be? It's bad for business.) Traditional techniques, developed when if you *did* get sick it was a major deal, focus more on getting the body working well over a long term, without external assistance. ie, prevention. They also tend to do well for chronic things that modern medicine simply calls a 'syndrome'... which means, by definition, "We have no idea what's going on, but these symptoms seem to be seen a lot together." That's all that means. No source is known, and maybe you can get away with treating individual symptoms, but a cure is almost certainly beyond their reach.

Which is ironic, since "but they can't say *how* it works, so it's bunk" is a charge often leveled at traditional techniques.

When it comes to syndromes, systemic problems, and prevention, traditional and western medicine are on about an even keel, in my opinion... and one is generally a whole lot cheaper. :)

OTOH, if something acute happens (appendicitis, infection, broken bone), modern medicine is pretty damned good, and I'll head to the doc without reservation. They have the best painkillers. ;)

[benzene]

Originally posted by Kickaha
Modern for acute, traditional for chronic and preventative. That's the best recipe I've found.

Most modern docs have zero interest in prevention - sure, they all talk a good game, but they're not really into it. (Cynical mode: why would they be? It's bad for business.) Traditional techniques, developed when if you *did* get sick it was a major deal, focus more on getting the body working well over a long term, without external assistance. ie, prevention. They also tend to do well for chronic things that modern medicine simply calls a 'syndrome'... which means, by definition, "We have no idea what's going on, but these symptoms seem to be seen a lot together." That's all that means. No source is known, and maybe you can get away with treating individual symptoms, but a cure is almost certainly beyond their reach.

Which is ironic, since "but they can't say *how* it works, so it's bunk" is a charge often leveled at traditional techniques.

When it comes to syndromes, systemic problems, and prevention, traditional and western medicine are on about an even keel, in my opinion... and one is generally a whole lot cheaper. :)

OTOH, if something acute happens (appendicitis, infection, broken bone), modern medicine is pretty damned good, and I'll head to the doc without reservation. They have the best painkillers. ;)

My best friend had a choice between going to school for his MD or his DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). He chose the DO primarily because when taking into consideration his own experiences with medical doctors, DO's were the ones that kept in mind the body as a whole, and didn't just resort to medication right off the bat.

What I'm trying to say is that even within modern medicine, there is a strong (and legitimately recognized) contingent that doesn't just resort to reactionary medicine.
The wikipedia page on Osteopathic Medicine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic_medicine) does a better job explaining than I would.

[Splinemodel]

Originally posted by Kickaha
Wait until you try pilates. Ouch.

I actually lift kettlebells, which can be quite difficult. They are a bit more traditionally masculine than pilates or yoga (as if I care, but anyway). Any folks who are interested in cardio and lean muscle but not interested in yoga or pilates should definitely consider kettlebells.

[Kickaha]

I've heard really good things about those - they seem to do a lot for core strengthening instead of just isolating specific muscles on the limbs.

[Splinemodel]

They are good, but you have to be careful. It's very easy to dislocate a shoulder if you are too ambitious. I stick to the "sissy" 12 and 16kg kettlebells, due to paranoia from once dislocating a shoulder doing military presses with 45lb dumbbells. Some of the exercises are somewhat similar to yoga in that there's a lot of extension and range of motion. If you're interested, do a google search, and you'll be able to locate a book by Pavel Tsastouline (I think that's spelled right). It's pretty straight-forward and has quite a few exercises in it.

Pavel, who's not a huge guy at all, apparently one-arm cleans 32kg kettlebells with inhuman endurance. I'm not there yet. ;)

[sunilraman]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kickaha
Advanced Yoga For Lechers Tip #32:
Always be just a little 'off' in your poses, so that the hot yoga teacher feels the need to come over and manually nudge your body into position. Especially effective in Warrior 2 and Triangle poses, when they apparently like to sidle up behind you and do a full-body press.


:D I'll go one up on you. Back in 2004 when I had some financial issues, after doing about maybe a few months of paid yoga classes, I told my teacher I had to stop, she was like, no, don't stop, you can come for free for a while :D Yes, she and some of the other Yoga chicks at my class can be considered "hot".

So you know me and my bipolar disorder though, in 2004 it got worse and I had to stop Yoga. Given how little classes I did (and being still unflexible), one day, I had a moment in the middle of a pose where I experienced perfect nothingness for a split second. I swear, cross my heart and all that, it happened.

The flexibility, excercise, body toning, and "perving" (as they say in Australia/UK) on the opposite sex is all well and good. But the real benefits is when you start hitting the meditative "OMFG this is the cosmic universe" type stuff. Scary. Along with my bipolar disorder things went out of whack through 2004, and as you all know, in 2005 up to know I've been on various medications.

There was a guy I was working with in 2003 at Greenpeace that told me "he turned into a ball of light" during his Yoga sessions. He had the benefit of being a bit older, mid 30s, had more of a Guru, and he was able to hold on to his demanding, somewhat mainstream job...

Go to Yoga for the flexibility and babes and what not :) Stay for the spiritual insight. Or just for the relaxation. But for some of us, Yoga and Medication is contraindicated with certain mental disorders. Or is it the other way around. And who determined what exactly is a "mental disorder" anyway...!

[blackbird_1.0]

Originally posted by sunilraman
Originally posted by Kickaha
Advanced Yoga For Lechers Tip #32:
Always be just a little 'off' in your poses, so that the hot yoga teacher feels the need to come over and manually nudge your body into position. Especially effective in Warrior 2 and Triangle poses, when they apparently like to sidle up behind you and do a full-body press.
:D I'll go one up on you. Back in 2004 when I had some financial issues, after doing about maybe a few months of paid yoga classes, I told my teacher I had to stop, she was like, no, don't stop, you can come for free for a while :D Yes, she and some of the other Yoga chicks at my class can be considered "hot".

So you know me and my bipolar disorder though, in 2004 it got worse and I had to stop Yoga. Given how little classes I did (and being still unflexible), one day, I had a moment in the middle of a pose where I experienced perfect nothingness for a split second. I swear, cross my heart and all that, it happened.

The flexibility, excercise, body toning, and "perving" (as they say in Australia/UK) on the opposite sex is all well and good. But the real benefits is when you start hitting the meditative "OMFG this is the cosmic universe" type stuff. Scary. Along with my bipolar disorder things went out of whack through 2004, and as you all know, in 2005 up to know I've been on various medications.

There was a guy I was working with in 2003 at Greenpeace that told me "he turned into a ball of light" during his Yoga sessions. He had the benefit of being a bit older, mid 30s, had more of a Guru, and he was able to hold on to his demanding, somewhat mainstream job...

Go to Yoga for the flexibility and babes and what not :) Stay for the spiritual insight. Or just for the relaxation. But for some of us, Yoga and Medication is contraindicated with certain mental disorders. Or is it the other way around. And who determined what exactly is a "mental disorder" anyway...! Cool! So can yoga work for anyone?

[Kickaha]

Hell, it works for my 87 year old great-aunt.

My grandfather was this massive John Wayne character (when he graduated from high school, he was 6'5", 48" chest, 28" waist. Then he beefed up.) He made some crack at a family dinner about how "Isn't that just stretching?" so I had him do an exercise sitting there at the table. He was pretty arthritic in the hips by that time, so I had him just extend his arms up over his head, and spread his fingers. Told him to try and make his finger tips reach the ceiling, as far apart from each other as possible. Then to bring *just* his thumbs in to his palm, while keeping his other fingers as taut as possible. Then slowly let them back out to full stretch. Then the forefingers. Then the middle fingers. By the time he got to the pinkies, he was breathing hard, and after a second round through, he was panting and sweating, and his arms were starting to shake. "Now do that for five minutes. As a warmup." "Noooo sir, that's a workout."

[BRussell]

My wife does yoga, and she has said that it's not uncommon for people to break down crying or laughing during yoga session, due to emotional release. It all sounds kinda weird to me. :D

[addabox]

Originally posted by BRussell
My wife does yoga, and she has said that it's not uncommon for people to break down crying or laughing during yoga session, due to emotional release. It all sounds kinda weird to me. :D

Not at all. We all hold "memories" in our bodies of strong emotional events in our lives.

Consider someone who grew up in an abusive household who learned to stiffen their shoulders to ward off the next blow, or someone who has internalized a "defeated" position in the world with a collapsed chest and dropped chin, or someone who feels overwhelmed by what life asks of them and who unconsciously and continuously clenches the abdomen as a kind of "armor". Or, if you prefer, just "holding tension" from life's everyday stresses in say, one's lower back.

In Yoga parlance, one's "chi" becomes blocked in such areas-- we isolate and attempt to "protect" the site of the trauma by immobilization-- just as we would favor a wounded foot, or tend not to reach with a damaged arm.

Without "physical therapy" that kind of stiffening can reinforce itself into a completely customary habit of posture or movement, long after the reasons for adopting such a pose are no longer present in one's life. In our caution to protect a place where we have manifested a psychic injury, we "forget" that a range of motion is even possible.

When a Yoga movement obliges us to not just move but focus our full awareness and breath on a place in our body that carries the "scar tissue" of a long forgotten reaction, the result can be a powerful release of the emotions that contributed to the unwillingness to move in the first place.

The cool thing about Yoga is that it obliges you to move in ways that ordinary life never would, revealing untested areas of self-inflicted rigidity. Often you can move further into a pose that your brain is telling you is going to snap you in half or tear a tendon just by breathing, relaxing and paying attention. At which point some poor, ignored, clenched and forgotten body part may send a hot rush of tears to your eyes, or a spontaneous burst of joyful laughter.

[Kickaha]

Agreed.

And you fart.

[addabox]

Originally posted by Kickaha
Agreed.

And you fart.

That's just your GI tract saying "I, too, am happy to be moving".

[addabox]

Here in the Bay Area "Bikram" Yoga is all the rage-- the classed are conducted in heated rooms (like 90-100 degrees heated) and you sweat your ass off.

Anybody try this? I haven't yet, but it sounds interesting, if somewhat icky.

[Kickaha]

Originally posted by addabox
That's just your GI tract saying "I, too, am happy to be moving".

Yup. :) It's a bit disconcerting however, to the novice. Luckily, my wife warned me that not only would it happen when I started, but that the rest of the class expected it, so I shouldn't be self-conscious, and just continue with the class.

Flatulence kinda yanks you out of your headspace though. "Ommm, padda padda, I am one with the *PFBBBRRRRRTTTT*... er... damn."

Thank god it stops after a few classes.

[blackbird_1.0]

Originally posted by Kickaha
Yup. :) It's a bit disconcerting however, to the novice. Luckily, my wife warned me that not only would it happen when I started, but that the rest of the class expected it, so I shouldn't be self-conscious, and just continue with the class.

Flatulence kinda yanks you out of your headspace though. "Ommm, padda padda, I am one with the *PFBBBRRRRRTTTT*... er... damn."

Thank god it stops after a few classes. :lol:

[sunilraman]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by blackbird_1.0
Cool! So can yoga work for anyone?

Well, here's the disclaimer for Yoga. IMO, it is *not* suitable for *everyone*. Just the warning label for the Yoga prescription. Not saying don't try it because of the following, but be informed and aware as you go along.

On the physical side, it should be taken into consideration with your overall health goals. Consider your current or previous injuries if they exist and discuss this with your potential Yoga teacher. Speak to friends or family about teachers and how accomodating they are for beginners, even in the beginner classes. Check out how Yoga can integrate with your usual gym/ running/ swimming/ etc. on different days, and so on. Try different classes/ teachers to see what 'clicks'.

On the emotional/ stress-relieving side, generally, yes, Yoga is good for that. But again, as BRussell mentioned, "[My wife] has said that it's not uncommon for people to break down crying or laughing during yoga session, due to emotional release". It's not really too weird, addabox gave a good reason for why it could happen. In one of my classes in 2003 a girl that was becoming quite regular had to bail out completely of one class about 15-30mins into the usual routine. Stress-relief is common and beneficial, but be aware that you can awaken deeper emotions, and sometimes, after certain Yoga sessions, you can actually feel *angry* instead of calm, as it brings out deep-seated stuff.

Relationships: It is interesting about the relationships that can develop between you and your teacher, you and other students, etc. Because Yoga classes are a space where you generally feel good, relaxed, and it can be very nourishing, romantic relationships can develop. Consider whether this fits into your plan or not (eg. if you already have a partner, or if you feel it is appropriate or not to date your Yoga teacher or fellow Yoga student).

Spiritual: Now, this is a more rare side effect/ contraindication. I have only a few examples to speak of, including my own. At beginner and intermediate levels, Yoga is seen mainly as stress-relieving, toning, core strength and flexibility oriented excercise. At intermediate to advanced levels though that's when the "real" Yoga stuff comes into play - meditation, for example. Feeling split-seconds of "nothingness". Deep, deep calm that extends through you for hours after a session, sometimes to the alarm of family and friends around you. Tantric-stuff (I don't know much about it) but like having orgasms with your partner that go from a few seconds to a minute or something like that.

At intermediate levels, or in rare cases (like myself), be prepared for life-changing perspectives on things - the way you look at your job, the food you eat, your life, other people's lives, the world, the universe, God, Goddess, what is God, etc.

Growing up and recently being in a country where Hinduism, though a minority religion, is practiced in quite orthodox forms, I would say that Yoga, depending on the teachers and their teachers, is a bit of cherry-picking from Hinduism and blended with New Age, add a dash of Self-Help. Again, this is not to turn people off OR to say that "ah, Yoga's just this fad". Just stuff to keep in mind.

Something like http://www.yogajournal.com/ ,the print version, is nice to browse through if you're considering Yoga or if you're starting to get into it. The print magazine is much nicer visually than the website :)

Again, spiritually, as you hit the intermediate to advanced levels, I would say, just be prepared, and be confident about where you are in life and the guidance you're getting from your teacher (now considered your Guru at this stage) as you consider pursuing the deeper aspects of Yoga.

Well, I guess I am trying to be helpful while sharing more personal info as I usually do in my cathartic way on these forums. I'm sure others here will debate certain aspects, [clint eastwood]go ahead, punk, make my day..![/clint eastwood] :lol:

I guess growing up, from young I've always had an idealistic, alternative view of the world. Combined with making it to live in San Francisco Bay Area in my first job, and further invovlment with more New Age/ Alternative lifestyles in Sydney, growing up apart from my more mainstream, pragmatic family, I've always been "different". I only started Yoga in 2003, by then considered, you know, kind of the sexy, trendy thing. The progress I made spiritually was quite rare and unexpected, and I don't know how it interacted with say, frequent drinking (2-3 buzzy nights a week) in 2000-2003, occassional drug use in 2003-2004 (ecstasy, pot), work advance and stress in new media design/ management 2003-2004, and *Stopping* drinking and partying as much for certain blocks of time, in 2003-2004*, and my oft-repeated "OMFG I am going to die" experience on a NewZealand ski resort in Sep 2003.

*I don't know, but sometimes after a few months of once-a-week Yoga, you find going out and getting smashed-drunk a few times a week or even just on the weekend, loses its appeal, in terms of "do i need to do this to have fun?", "do i need to do this to get laid?" and "do i need to do this to my body?"... :smokey:

Well, I'll shut up soon, but last thing is, the weird thing is I know a lot of people that do do all these things - Yoga, occassional pot/ ecstasy, partying and drinking, detox, then stress and bad eating, detox, stress-relief, hard intense work at their jobs, then taking out week-long Yoga retreats, going vegetarian for a while, then going back to fast food, etc. :wow:

[CL1V3]

Yeah man..i defiantely agree with you..yoga isn't for everyone...i had a hard time..but im not givin up...im still seeing if its worth all the effort pain.

Clive
Ashiyana Tropical Yoga Retreat Centre (http://www.ashiyana-yoga-goa.com/)